


Ender's Game -- Movie Script

by EbonyLyre



Category: Ender's Game (2013), Ender's Game - All Media Types
Genre: Adaptation, Canon-Typical Violence, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22172404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EbonyLyre/pseuds/EbonyLyre
Summary: If you're disappointed by the 2013 movie, give this a try :)
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue and Act I

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This author does not own the rights to any Ender’s Game properties beyond a personal copy of the book. Lines lifted verbatim from the book/film are noted. No other part of this work may be copied/reposted without written permission from me, unless the excerpt is cited with a link to this page.
> 
> Author’s Note: This work is the result of the author’s love of the book. It does not reflect the author’s opinion(s) of Orson Scott Card.

**Prologue**

_Black screen_

Nurse: This won’t hurt a bit, Andrew.

Ender: Ender. [Screams]

_Viewpoint is upward, towards tile ceiling. Monitor device appears on screen, dropped into water, tinging it with blood._

**CREDITS**

**Act 1 Scene 1**

_Viewpoint is diagonally downward. In a regular school corridor on Earth, three boys including Stilson stand facing Ender Wiggin._

Ender: [forced calm] You know there’s still the school surveillance system right?

[As he speaks, Ender moves slowly towards a classroom door.]

[Cut to Colonel Graff and Major Anderson watching the scene through CCTV, then back to corridor. The camera moves down to Ender’s eye level.]

Stilson: [sneers] By the time anyone sees this it’ll be too late, Third-turd.

Ender: Just because my monitor has been taken away-

Stilson: Shut up! You only exist because people thought you’d be special. Now you’re just a waste of resources, Third!

[Stilson lunges for Ender. His two friends cheer him on.]

[Ender opens the classroom door and steps backward inside. He hastily grabs a classmate’s metal water bottle and smashes it into Stilson’s face.]

[Stilson screams and covers his face. Blood pours out from his nose.]

[Ender jumps on Stilson, knocking him down. Ender continues to hit, aiming for Stilson’s fingers with the bottle and stomach with his knee.]

Boy 1: Stop! Stop it!

[Boy 1 tries to grab Ender but can’t get a good angle thanks to the doorway.]

[Ender scrambles up and points the water bottle at the other two boys; Stilson is quiet.]

Ender: Stay back! Or I’ll do the same to you!

[Ender steps forward, and the boys back away until Ender is in the clear. He maintains a tight grip on the bottle.]

**Act 1 Scene 2**

_Viewpoint is at Ender’s eye height. A model truck flies towards the “viewer” who sees the back of Ender’s hand as it snaps up to swat the toy away. The camera follows the toy and sees it make a small dent in the wood floor upon landing. Then it swings up to show the inside of an American home. Peter Wiggin is sitting on the couch._

Peter: [mock delight] Val, look! The Third’s home!

[The audience hears the sound of the front door closing.]

[Valentine emerges from the kitchen.]

Valentine: Ender! How come you just got back?

[Valentine hugs Ender, whereupon she spots the truck. She releases Ender and turns her head to glare at Peter who grins nastily.]

Peter: Bought a gift for the Turd.

Ender: I had my monitor removed.

[Valentine head whips back towards Ender. She is shocked.]

Peter: [sneers] Oh, great, now how will Mom and Dad justify your existence?

[Valentine turns spins around with an angry expression. Before she can say anything, there’s the sound of a key in the door. Ender and Valentine exchange confused looks before moving out of the way.]

[John enters. His expression briefly shows confusion at Ender and Valentine’s proximity to the door before becoming stern.]

John: Everyone, we have a guest.

[John moves out of the way and Theresa enters followed by Graff. Graff is in a sky-blue International Fleet uniform.]

Graff: Hello.

Valentine: Mom?

[Theresa shakes her head and gestures to the couch.]

[Ender sits between John and Valentine. Theresa, upset, stands next to couch with her hand covering her mouth. Peter sits on couch arm next to Valentine, discretely tugging on her hair. Valentine refuses to react. Graff sits at a right angle to the couch.]

Graff: Why did you keep going, Ender?

Ender: [hint of defiance] If I didn’t, they would’ve just come after me again. Stilson wouldn’t have accepted being humiliated in front of his friends. I had to make sure he’d stay down.

Theresa: [voice a little muffled] Ender-

Ender: There weren’t any teachers around, Mom. And they can’t be everywhere.

[Valentine grabs Ender’s hand and squeezes.]

John: [tensely] Ender was defending himself. After you and the Fleet stopped protecting him!

[Graff doesn’t look away from Ender]

Graff: I’m here to invite you to Battle School.

[Theresa’s hand drops, Peter stops messing with Valentine’s hair, Valentine and John sit up.]

Ender: You took away my monitor.

Graff: We needed to see how you’d react.

Theresa: [outraged] Are you serious?

Graff: Ender, your actions show you are a good fit for Battle School. I won’t lie. It will be hard. If you graduate, your path will only get harder.

[Graff takes a model of a Formic out of his pocket and tosses it to Ender.]

Graff: Last time they were here we nearly lost. You’ve seen the vids. You’ve seen what they did to our people, our homes. No one, nothing, was safe. The only reason we won in the end was because we had Mazer Rackham. But they’ll come back. When they do, we’ll need you to win the next war.

John: [scoffs] Really!

[Ender silently observes Graff before darting a glance at Valentine.]

Ender: I’ll go with you.


	2. Act II

**Act 2 Scene 1**

_Viewpoint starts diagonally down from Ender’s shoulder; we can see his arms holding a lunch tray. Camera swings up to follow Ender walking past groups of older children sitting with others wearing the same uniform in the Battle School cafeteria. These uniforms have animals sewn on the back._

[Ender stops at the end of a table with eighteen other children and sits. These children are younger and their solid color uniforms are unadorned. Bernard sits at the same table in the middle of the row, Alai on one side, Jakob (OC) on the other.]

Bernard: [sarcastically] Look boys, look who’s gracing is with his presence!

[Ender eats.]

Boy 2: [exaggeratedly] Please, Smartest-of-Our-Group, the Only-One-with-Brains, gift us with your pearls of wisdom!

Ender: [nonchalantly] If you believe Graff‘s words, why are you following Bernard? If you don’t believe them, then what do you gain from picking on me?

[The boys around Bernard exchange glances, except for Alai who observes Ender.]

Bernard: [sneers] Nobody buys your false modesty.

Ender: We’ve been here for two months. Our test scores are all posted and everyone practices together in the Battle Room. We know our launch mates’ capabilities by now, so why are you still quoting Graff?

Alai: You have the highest composite score.

[Ender sets fork down.]

Ender: Alai, you outperform me in Applied Complex Variables. And Jakob shoots better than me in the Battle Room. I want to learn from you so I’m so the best soldier I can be when we face the Buggers.

Shen: The Formics.

Ender: [grins] And Shen’s best at Political Correctness.

[Everyone but Bernard laughs.]

Alai: You mean that, Ender? I help you with math, you’ll help me with Irregular Warfare Tactics?

Ender: I look forward to learning from you in math. I’m happy to help anyone who wants help with Tactics. We can meet in the Physics classroom after dinner.

Bernard: [sneers] The door will be locked then.

Ender: I hacked the scanner.

Shen: Can you teach me how to do _that_?

**Interlude 1**

_Viewpoint is third person. We see Major Anderson come into Colonel Graff’s office._

Anderson: Ender’s gotten out of the isolation you trapped him in.

Graff: About time. Bernard?

Anderson: Still hostile. They’re avoiding each other.

Graff: Won’t be long now. Have the transfer ready by next week.

Anderson: Thought you’d want to know, Ender reached the Giant’s Drink stage of the Mind Game.

Graff: How’s he handing it?

Anderson: He just got there. I’ll keep you updated.

**Act 2 Scene 2**

_Viewpoint is third person inside the Battle Room. In the Battle Room there are stars dispersed regularly throughout the back half. Behind them we can see the curved far wall, which is actually a large screen currently displaying the Earth spinning on its axis. The camera rotates to show Ender’s launch group scattered around the entrance wall clinging to handholds. Dap is motionless in the middle of the room.]_

Dap: Listen up, Launchies! Your final task is to tag the far wall, then travel back! On your way back, you will be shooting at your launch mates! Anyone who shoots before tagging the far wall will get twenty push-ups! Anyone unable to make their way back to a handhold will get one forty push-ups! First person back gets extra dessert! Three, two, one, go!

[Dap presses a button on a device which magnetically pulls him to the nearest wall.]

[Ender pushes off and immediately starts shooting. Alai notices and copies. Shen looks confused, then smiles and joins in just before all-out war erupts. Bernard is among the first frozen and his face shows anger. Ender is the first to make it back, followed by Alai. A few other boys/girls join them but not Shen.]

[Dap pushes off towards the boys, then quickly clicks his device twice to slow and stop.]

Dap: [coldly to Ender] That will be twenty push-ups, launchy! [Turns to the other cadets on the wall] And for following his lead you all can do fifty!

Ender: I would like to do fifty, sir.

Dap: [glares] Then you can do sixty!

Ender: Sir, yes, sir!

[Dap turns, presses another button to unfreeze all the cadets. Once everyone is oriented roughly the same way, he clicks another button and artificial gravity gently sucks everyone not holding a handhold “down”.]

Dap: As for the rest of you, improve or you will never be picked for an Army! Dismissed!

[Dap departs.]

[Ender looks thoughtfully at the soldiers “below”.]

Alai: What are you thinking?

Ender: Without gravity, there’s no “down”.

Alai: So we could be under them.

[Ender points to the far wall.]

Ender: Or we can be above that.

Alai: [thoughtfully] The enemy gate is beneath us.

Ender: [grins] The enemy’s gate is down.[1]

**Act 2 Scene 3**

_Viewpoint is third-person. In the corridor outside Ender’s barracks, most of the launch group is standing around. We see the other cadets that were on the wall perform one push-up as we hear Dap count…_

Dap: Ten! Everyone up except for Wiggin!

[Alai hesitates; Ender twitches his head to signal “no”. Alai gets up; Ender does another push-up.]

Dap: Eleven! ...Twelve! ...Thirteen! [...] Twenty!

[Dap turns to leave; Ender scrambles up.]

Ender: Sir!

Dap: Yes, launchy?

Ender: Many of us have written home sir, but no one has received a reply. May we know if our letters are being delivered?

Dap: If you are looking for a shoulder to cry on, Wiggin, find a pillow![2] Dismissed!

[As Dap walks away, cadets quickly file into their barrack. Bernard waits by the door.]

Bernard: [begrudgingly] Thanks for trying.

[Ender nods.]

[Camera moves inside barracks, faces the doorway. Bernard enters followed by Ender. They notice Alai and Shen waiting by Ender’s bunk with guarded expressions. Ender is about to ask what’s wrong when he notices a slip of paper on his bunk.]

**Ender Wiggin — Assigned Salamander Army. Effective immediately. No possessions transferred.**

Alai: You’re not that much better than me.

[Ender picks up the slip and crushes it. He shoves past Bernard to go into hallway. Alai follows.]

[Ender breathes heavily, tears in his eyes. Alai places a hand on Ender’s shoulders.]

Alai: [light voice] Did you see that part about possessions? Guess the teachers think you sleep with a stuffed animal you smuggled up here.

Ender: [huffs a laugh] Maybe they meant this uniform. I’ll have to strip and walk over naked.

[Alai smiles, Ender’s breathing calms.]

Ender: Guess I should go.

[Alai hesitates then hugs Ender, placing a kiss on his cheek. Then he whispers into Ender’s ear.]

Alai: Salaam.[3]

[Alai pulls away and walks into room without another look.

[Ender watches, then goes down the hallway.]

**Act 2 Scene 4**

_Viewpoint is third person. We see Bonzo Madrid standing right in front of Ender, looming over Ender. They are in the corridor outside Salamander’s barrack._

Bonzo: [projecting his voice] Were my instructions clear, launchy?

Ender: Yes, sir.

Bonzo: Repeat them back to me.

Ender: I will stay out of the way in the training room. I will not enter a battle until everyone else has. I will not fire my weapon during battle.

Bonzo: Good. Salamander has been on the rise. We won twelve of our last twenty games.[4] So of course the teachers send us a launchy who can’t shoot and doesn’t know a single battle maneuver. But we are?

_[Camera swings to show Salamander soldiers clustered by the door. Petra Arkanian is the closest, standing a little apart.]_

Everyone but Petra: Salamander!

Bonzo: We shall?

Everyone but Petra: Overcome!

Bonzo: Our enemies?

Everyone but Petra: Will burn!

[Camera moves back to Bonzo, catching him turning to enter Salamander’s barrack.]

Ender: Sir-

[Bonzo whirls around and shoves Ender against the wall.]

Bonzo: You have not been given permission to speak, launchy. And I expect this to be the last time I speak to you.

[Bonzo releases Ender and stalks away. The other Salamanders follow, except for Petra.]

Petra: I wouldn’t let what happened bother you. Bonzo’s all heart when it comes to newbies. Particularly those who might tarnish his precious reputation.

[Ender is just about to open his new locker but he stops and looks at her.]

Petra: Petra Arkanian. Pleased to meet another person who raises Bone-head’s blood pressure.

[Petra offers her hand. Ender looks but doesn’t take it.]

Petra: I’m the best marksman in Salamander. And I don’t like Bone-head so I’ll teach you to shoot during free time.

Ender: What about battle maneuvers?

Petra: [shrugs] If you learn fast enough.

[Ender grins and shakes her hand.]

Ender: Thanks.

Petra: [Breezily] Not doing it for you.

**Interlude 2**

_Viewpoint is third person. Colonel Graff sits before a wall with four screens, two are at eye level, and the other two are above. The top left screen shows the area immediately in front of his office door. The top right shows the Battle Room standings of every soldier. The bottom left shows Petra demonstrating to Ender shooting while maneuvering. The bottom right shows General Levy._

Levy: Greetings, Colonel Graff.

Graff: Greetings, General Levy.

Levy: How is Andrew Wiggin doing?

Graff: Well. As expected, Petra Arkanian took him under her wing.

Levy: How long are you going to give him?

Graff: I estimate it will be three months before Dink Meeker requests him on Petra’s recommendation. After Ender gets two to three months of practice as part of an Army, I’ll graduate Rat Army’s current commander along with a few others and give the next set a chance to fight over who gets him as toon leader.

Levy: And how long is he going to spend controlling a toon before he gets his own Army?

Graff: Not long. I’ve already picked out the Army.

Levy: How?!

Graff: Dragon.

Levy: [pauses a few seconds] The one that was discontinued because it never won more than a third of its games?

Graff: Ender can use a running start. And we already have the uniforms.[5]

Levy: I hope you know what you’re doing, Colonel. Our deadline is looming and nothing can change it now.

Graff: Ender will be ready, sir.

Levy: He still needs to go to Tactical School before he can go to Command and Command needs at least a year before anyone would trust him to lead the war!

Graff: Ender doesn’t need Tactical, sir. And he won’t need a year at Command.

Levy: Don’t exaggerate, Colonel. That’s an order. And do something about that boy’s psyche. I’m not hearing good things about his interactions with the Mind Game.

Graff: Yes, sir.

Levy: Major Imbu tells me he’s obsessed with the Giant’s Drink, like Pinual was.

Graff: Ender is not in danger of committing suicide!

Levy: That’s what we thought about Pinual.

**Act 2 Scene 5**

_Viewpoint is third person. Ender is sitting in his bunk, looking at something on his desk. The camera zooms in and down to show us it’s a letter **[6]**, then swings up to show a close-up of Ender’s reddened eyes. We hear Valentine Wiggin’s voice say “Ender, the...” as the camera swings back down to show Ender opening “Fantasy Land” then maneuvering a mouse around vines with snapping jaws to climb up the leg of a Giant’s table. On the table are two goblets._

Valentine:

Ender,

The bastards wouldn’t put any of my letters through till now. I must have written a hundred times but you must have thought I never did. Well, I did. I haven’t forgotten you. Some people might think that because you’re being a soldier you are now a cruel and hard person who likes to hurt people, but I know that isn’t true. You are nothing like You-Know-Who. He’s nicer-seeming but he’s still a You-Know-What inside. Maybe you seem mean, but it won’t fool me.

All my love Turkey Lips,

VAL

[As the letter is read, on the screen, the Giant points to one cup then the other. The mouse checks both cups, climbs into one and dies. The screen fades then shows the mouse under the table again. The mouse scampers up, climbs into the other and dies again.]

P.S. Don’t write back. They won’t deliver your letter, just sikowanalize it.

[Camera swings up to show anger and tears on Ender’s face before returning to the screen. This time the mouse leaps for the Giant’s eye and digs in. The Giant falls and we see “Welcome to Fairyland” before the screen goes black.]

**Act 2 Scene 6**

_Viewpoint is third person. Ender sits across a table from Colonel Graff in his office. Ender’s uniform has a large patch on the sleeve signifying command of Dragon Army. Ender’s face is thin, showing fatigue. He sits sloppily._

Graff: Congratulations, Commander. Seven battles, seven wins.

Ender: [flatly] Yessir.

Graff: Even though we gave you less time to train than any other commander.

Ender: [same voice] You gave me top flight soldiers, sir.

Graff: None were top flight before joining your army.

Ender: Their previous commanders weren’t using them effectively, sir.

Graff: You must feel very proud.

Ender: I’m proud of them.

Graff: W-

Ender: What are you going to do about the bullying, Colonel?

Graff: Excuse me?

Ender: Bonzo Madrid and his cronies. They’re targeting my soldiers. Most of them are barely out of launch, sir.

Graff: [leans back] I’m not your mother, soldier. Clean up your own messes.

Ender: [faintly stunned] Understood.

Graff: _Sir_. And don’t ever interrupt me again.

Ender: Yes, _sir_.

Graff: Speaking of Salamander Army.

[Graff passes a slip of paper to Ender.]

**Bonzo Madrid — Salamander Army — 1200**

Ender: That’s ten minutes from now. My army will be at lunch!

Graff: Better hurry then, soldier.

[Ender leaves, slamming the door shut.]

[Anderson’s voice emerges from Graff’s computer’s speakers.]

Anderson: I still think we should graduate Bonzo. After the battle, he’ll be out for blood.

[Graff closes his eyes.]

Graff: No matter how unfair the odds, no one will be able swoop to in to save Ender when he fights the Buggers. He needs to learn that lesson before he faces them.

Anderson: You could be court-martialed if Ender’s cripple. Or killed.

Graff: Ender will win.

**Act 2 Scene 7**

_Viewpoint is at Bonzo’s head height. The camera is just in front of him to show what he sees as he stalks into the boys’ showers. Ender is in a stall, starting to wrap his towel._

Bonzo: You should have gone to lunch.

Ender: What are they serving?

[Ender reaches behind him to turn the water back on.]

Bonzo: I’m not afraid of hot water, Ender.[7]

Ender: You sure? I’ve heard people call you fearless and honorable, but this certainly doesn’t look like either.

Bernard: Shut up, you little piss-ant.

Ender: Five against one. Is that what you’re going to tell everyone? One fearless and honorable commander and his five lieutenants against one terrible monster? You know, that weaponless boy who’s smaller than you?

[Bonzo’s jaw clenches.]

Bonzo: [to the others] Get the door. [To Ender] One-on-one and weaponless. I can't help that I'm bigger than you. You're such a genius, you figure out how to handle me.[8]

[Bonzo lunges but can’t get a grip thanks to the soap and water making Ender slippery. Ender flips Bonzo who cracks his head against the edge of a shower stall’s raised platform. Bonzo lies motionless.]

[Bernard wretches the door open.]

Bernard: [startled] Help! He-he’s in there!

[Medical personnel rush in.]

**Act 2 Scene 8**

_Viewpoint is third-person. Ender sits in his room with an even smaller boy wearing a Dragon uniform. Closer examination shows rushed tailoring on Bean Delphiki’s uniform._

Ender: They were right there, Bean. Medical. The teachers knew Bonzo was out for blood.

Bean: Everyone knew, Ender. Sorry we didn’t find you in time.

Ender: The teachers didn’t do anything.

Bean: They knew you’d win. No matter the odds.

[Ender punches a wall.]

Ender: I didn’t want to hurt him![9] Or anyone else! Why couldn’t they just leave me alone!

Bean: [hesitates] They will now. Bonzo’s being sent back planet-side.

[The light changes through the door gap and a slip of paper is shoved through. Bean gets off the bunk to pick it up and bring it to Ender. Ender doesn’t take it so Bean holds it up.]

**CARN CARBY— RABBIT ARMY, TALO MOMOE — TIGER ARMY, 1900**

Bean: Two fart-eating armies. Couldn’t beat us if we shot half our own soldiers first. They taking our gate down, commander?

[Ender plucks the slip from his hand.]

Ender: I’ll meet everyone by the door.

**Act 2 Scene 9**

_Viewpoint is third person. Dragon Army is standing in the corridor outside of the Battle Room._

Ender: We’re going to go with one of Bean’s ideas for this one. [Ender bares his teeth in a ‘grin’.] Let’s see how they react to a formation.

[Camera moves into the center of the Battle Room to show a wall of frozen Dragon soldiers emerge from the Gate. Rabbit Army immediately starts firing, then Tiger joins in. The wall breaks into 4 sections and from behind each Dragon soldiers shoot back. The camera moves to just outside the corridor.]

Dumper: Our Fearless Leader, frozen in that wall like anybody. [shakes his head] That’s trust, Bean old boy.[10]

Bean: Then let’s not let him down, Dumper.

[We see Bean and four other boys carefully slipping into the Battle Room. We see them start to slide along different walls before the camera focuses on Bean and follows as he carefully moves like he’s a floating frozen soldier, including not responding when a stray shot hits him. When he gets to the enemy’s gate, we see three other soldiers there and another arriving. They perform the end-of-game ritual. Everyone’s weapon goes dead. The suits unfreeze and everyone is pulled to the same surface. The scoreboard (the large screen previously showing a rotating Earth and then a random section of space for this game) shows victory for Dragon.]

Talo: [loudly] The hell?

Carn: [dawning realization] He went for the gate!

[Everyone else is quiet, listening in.]

Talo: He can’t do that!

Carn: [laughs self deprecatingly] The rule is, “The game ends when four soldiers press their helmets to the corners of the gate and a fifth passes through.” [11] Doesn’t say anything about defeating every enemy soldier.

Talo: That bugger-lover!

[Soldiers start murmuring.]

Carn: [loudly, annoyed] Ender won fair and square, Mo.

[Graff enters the Battle Room.]

Graff: Commander Carby is correct. Commander Wiggin, a word.

Ender: Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of my men.

Graff: [studies Ender, nods] Very well. Your orders are to report to shuttle bay 6 in twenty minutes. Your new uniform is waiting for you in your room. Put that on, don’t bring anything else with you.

Ender: [briefly glances at Bean] Understood, sir.

[1] Quoted from the novel.

[2] Paraphrased from the movie.

[3] Quoted from the novel.

[4] Quoted from the novel.

[5] Paraphrased from the movie.

[6] Quoted from the novel.

[7] Quoted from the novel.

[8] Quoted from the novel.

[9] Quoted from the novel.

[10] Quoted from Ender’s Shadow.


	3. Act III and Epilogue

**Act 3 Scene 1**

_Viewpoint is just in front of Ender’s face. Blackness splits, sliding apart like eyelids. We see a rocky ceiling before the camera swings downward, following Ender’s gaze as he sits up and sees Mazer Rackham. Then the camera changes to third-person._

Ender: Who are you?

[Ender pushes down his covers and scrambles up. Rackham is silent.]

Ender: [looks around] Whatever.

[Ender walks towards the door. As he passes Rackham, Rackham grabs his ankle and Ender falls. Rackham releases his ankle and Ender scrambles up.]

Ender: Ow! What’s your problem?

[Rackham is silent.]

Ender: Is this the new test? To see if I’ll beat up an old man?

[Rackham is silent.]

Ender: Not interested. Enjoy your stay.

[Ender keeps walking towards the door. Rackham silently gets up and tackles Ender, slamming his shoulder against the door and yanking back Ender’s arm.]

Ender: Okay, okay! You win.[1]

Rackham: Since do you have to tell the enemy when he has won?

[Ender remains silent.]

Rackham: I surprised you once, Ender Wiggin. Why didn't you destroy me immediately afterward? Just because I looked peaceful?

Ender: I thought you were a teacher, how was I supposed to know you’re-

Rackham: An enemy? There is no teacher but the enemy. Only the enemy shows you where you are weak. Only the enemy tells you where he is strong. And the only rules of the game are what you can do to him and what you can stop him from doing to you. Starting now, I am your teacher, because I am your enemy. Got it?

Ender: Got it.

[Rackham releases Ender. Ender immediately attacks. Rackham easily flips Ender onto his back. Rackham nods with a faint smile, then opens the door and leaves. Ender scrambles up and pushes the door back open.]

Ender: What’s your name?

Rackham: Mazer Rackham.

**Interlude 3**

_Viewpoint is third person. Colonel Graff sits before two monitors. On one we can make out a window showing Rackham ushering Ender into a room with a large conference table and a wall screen. Above the window is a row of numbers separated by colons. They are counting down from a little more than six months. On the other screen, we see Major Anderson._

Graff: How’s the School’s evacuation going, Major?

Anderson: Smoothly. How’s your vacation?

[Graff glances at the other screen.]

Graff: Good.

Anderson: Ender’s strong, Hyrum.

Graff: Was this how you felt when I pushed him?

Anderson: Your bets paid off, Hyrum. General Levy agrees with me. Just hang in there a little longer.

**Act 3 Scene 2**

_From the previous shot: the camera zooms in on the window to transition to Ender and Rackham sitting in the conference room._

Ender: I watched all the vids of your battles in the Battle School library. All of them except the last battle stop after you receive the order to stand down. The last battle vid stops after you hit a ship and it explodes. The next set of vids I could find just show Marines boarding ships filled with dead Buggers.

Mazer: What if I told you that’s because the war ended after that ship exploded?

Ender: Well yeah, otherwise you wouldn’t be famous. I figured out you must have taken out the Bugger’s Commander-in-Chief and their next in line was nowhere near as competent. But it would have been helpful to see how you capitalized on the mistakes the new guy made to win so decisively.

Mazer: Let’s watch what happened after I hit that ship.

[Mazer opens a file, clicks on the icon, then types in a password. The video begins to play, showing the view from Mazer’s cockpit. We see spaceships zoom by as Mazer’s ship flies forward as fast as possible while dodging the occasional fire. The ship’s HUD starts showing enemy ships. Mazer’s hand comes up and selects one of the enemy ships. The view rises, spins and dives as Mazer’s ship gets closer. Suddenly the selected ship’s display starts blinking and Mazer’s finger immediately comes up to press it. We see two missiles streak away followed by four more. Seconds later, we see an explosion. The remaining enemy icons on the HUD start moving in straight lines even when it brings them directly in front of human piloted ships. Mazer’s ship flies close enough to one to see one out of the window and it makes no evasive maneuvers as Mazer paces it.]

[Mazer pauses the video.]

Ender: Really? Their second in command ordered surrender just like that?

Mazer: We kept an eye on every Bugger ship. Every ship kept going straight unless it crashed or a human ship brought it to a halt.

Ender: [confused] So no one was flying the Bugger spaceships anymore? The Buggers didn’t just surrender, they committed suicide when their Commander died?!

Mazer: What creatures do the Buggers most resemble?

Ender: Flying ants.

Mazer: So who do you think is the Bugger’s commander-in-chief?

Ender: A queen? You killed a space insect’s colony’s queen? And what, before she died she ordered all her soldier ants to commit suicide?

Mazer: You said you watched all the vids of my battles. Nothing struck you as odd about the Bugger’s behavior?

Ender: Not really. I mean, their communication system is incredible and their discipline is second to none, but nothing that you wouldn’t expect from soldiers sent to conquer new planets.

Mazer: Their communication system is incredible?

Ender: Everyone knew exactly what they should be doing at all times. Their ships never failed to cover one another and there was always an immediate response to any breach in their offense wall.

Mazer: What if I told you the Bugger spaceships have no communication systems? Every one we tore apart, there was nothing for transmitting or receiving messages ship-to-ship.

Ender: The Buggers used telepathy? [pauses] If they were all mentally linked, any trauma caused to the main “brain” could spread to the other brains. But wouldn’t they eventually recover? Unless...

Mazer: [quietly] Unless the queen is the brain and everyone else is an extremity. A finger. A toe.

[Ender stares at Mazer, realization dawning.]

Ender: This next war. The Third Invasion. You think they’re going to bring another queen. Maybe even two or three so we can’t decapitate them in one stroke again.

Mazer: I don’t know if they will risk more than one queen. And you certainly won’t face her right away. When you do, this new one will certainly be better at disguising and protecting herself.

Ender: Sir, if individual Buggers are like toes and fingers...or strands of hair...maybe they don’t-

Mazer: [puts his hand up] If someone comes up to you and starts yanking out your hair, do you think they’re looking for peace?

**Act 3 Scene 3**

_The words “Welcome to Wonderland” appear then dissolve._

[The camera is low to the ground and we hear squeaks as the view darts like a rodent scurrying. A pool of water appears and the camera tilts down to show a mouse reflected back. Then the camera turns 180 degree and rises so we can see a giant bleached skeleton not too far away. The camera swings back to the water which now reflects Ender’s face and body. Viewpoint changes to third person as we see Ender walk towards a castle in the distance. He steps inside and the camera follows him in. At the end of a red carpeted hallway is a throne. On it sits a Formic Queen. Ender rears back in shock.]

Ender: Who are you? What are you doing in my game?

[The Queen remains silent.]

Ender: Are you...are you one of the B- Formic queens?

[The Queen remains silent, but mocking laughter is heard from behind Ender. Ender spins around and sees that the red carpet has become a red snake and it heading straight towards him. Ender dodges and the snake follows. Two knives appear in Ender’s hands and he tries to slash the attacking snake. The snake hisses and circles Ender, forcing Ender to turn more and more quickly to avoid presenting his back. The image starts blurring as Ender gets dizzy then the snake lunges at Ender’s face and Ender wakes up with a shout.]

**Act 3 Scene 4**

_Viewpoint is just behind and to the right of Rackham. We see Ender approach, then the camera rotates to show Rackham standing at a console in the middle of a fairly large room facing a curved wall that is covered with a curved display._

Ender: Morning, sir.

Rackham: Morning. You’re good as you’re ever going to get against the computer so now you will be fighting me. Your new battles will be against the invasion sequences I’ve been planning since the Second Formic War. The queen will absolutely send more than one wave of fighters this time so you will be fighting multiple battles on different staging grounds. To make sure you are ready, your displays will be photo-realistic. [grins mirthlessly] You can thank the graphics team after you win.

Ender: I’ll be fighting alone? Like a Bugger queen?

Rackham: No. Humans aren’t capable of that level of multi-tasking.

Ender: But how can I work with toon leaders I never see?

Rackham: Press that button.

[Ender presses a button with the word LIVE on it.]

Alai: Salaam.[2]

[Ender turns to stare at Rackham.]

Bean: And me, the dwarf.[3]

Ender: Alai. Bean.

Petra: Ho, Commander.

Carn: Glad to be working _with_ you this time.

Ender: Petra, Carn. Anyone else?

Dink: Dink here, with a few other shrimps not worth listening to.

[Everyone laughs.]

Mazer: Satisfied, commander?

[Ender nods.]

Mazer: Good. Consider that a last courtesy. From now on I won’t hold back. If you can be destroyed, I will destroy you.

[Ender turns fully so the control panel (and therefore his jeesh) is behind him.]

Ender: Bring it.

**Act 3 Scene 5**

_Viewpoint is third person. The camera is just behind Ender (who is standing at the command center) pointing at the curved wall. The formerly blank screen is now alight with displays showing sections of the battle and what area/ships are under each toon leader’s command._

Ender: Get on it, Bean, Petra’s exposed!

Dumper: This doesn’t feel like a game anymore.

Dink: Games should be fun. Not...

[Dink trails off, on the screen a series of enemy ships blow up.]

Dink: Yeah!

Carn: We haven’t slept properly for days. Isn’t that going too far even for a ‘realistic simulation’?

Ender: Focus Carn. Or are you going to let a seventy-year-old man beat you?

Alai: He’s all heart, our Ender.

Bean: Mine and Petra’s quadrant is clear now, sir.

[Ender pulls up Bean and Petra’s stats.]

Ender: Pay attention next time. But good job minimizing losses, Bean, Petra.

Petra: Thank you, Ender.

Bean: Should we expect the next one to be just as bad?

[Rackham enters.]

Rackham: Worse, soldier. If you pass the next test, the Fleet is in your hands. If this next test doesn’t grind you to dust by the time it’s over, then it’s failed to serve its purpose.

Ender: [intently] If we win, we beat you.

Rackham: [hesitates] If you win, you will have proven yourself my superior.

**Act 3 Scene 6**

_Viewpoint is just in front of Ender’s face. We see his hand come up and push open the door of the Formic Queen’s castle. Ender sees the rug, hesitates, then tries to pick it up. It doesn’t budge. He then avoids walking on it as he approaches the Queen._

Ender: Why are you in my dream? [Ender tries crude sign language.] What are you trying to tell me?

[The Queen remains silent and motionless.]

Ender: Are you even real? Or am I going crazy? I know you can’t talk but, maybe you can write? Or gesture?

[Ender glances at the Queen’s tarsal claw as mocking laughter comes from behind him. Ender spins around and sees the carpet snake rushing him. Ender yells and scrambles out of the way. Knives appear in his hands. The snake leads him in a cat and mouse chase, moving quickly and only stopping a second or two in between. Finally the snake rushes Ender again and he throws one of his knives, only to see the snake dodge. The knife instead lodges in the thorax of the Queen. Then the Queen dissolves into the body of Valentine. Ender drops the other knife.]

Ender: No! Valentine!

[Mocking laughter is heard again behind Ender only this time it’s familiar. Ender spins around and sees the snake morph into Peter.]

Peter: You’re a killer, Ender.

[Ender screams and wakes up.]

**Act 3 Scene 7**

_Viewpoint is third person. The curved screen of the command room displays millions of enemy ships with a spinning ball in the distance. The number of enemy ships changes constantly, as though the computer doesn’t have enough processing power to display every ship at the same time. The camera then turns to show Ender standing at the console with Mazer waiting by the door._

[Ender gestures for Rackham to come over and points towards the ball.]

Ender: What’s that?

Rackham: A planet. A simulation of the Bugger’s home world based on our latest probe images.

Ender: So this hive’s queen is down there.

Rackham: Yes.

Ender: The new weapon we’re using, Dr. Device, will it work on a planet?

Rackham: [flinches minutely] Ender, while it’s true their weapons cause a lot of collateral damage, as far as we can tell, the Buggers never knowingly attacked civilian populations. You decide whether it would be wise to adopt a strategy that would invite reprisals.[4]

Ender: Is that the last curveball I’ll be facing today?

Rackham: Now’s not the time to feign stupidity.

[Rackham leaves. Ender presses the LIVE button.]

Ender: Morning.

Dink: Morning. You seeing this, commander? Rackham’s setting us up to fail!

Ender: I know.

Dumper: This is worse than that 2v1 against Rabbit and Tiger.

Carn: Hey! That was 1v1-plus-some-deadweight thank you very much.

[All the children crack up.]

Ender: In a real war, a good commander would surrender.

Bean: But this is a game where they’ve tossed the rules. [mock deep voice] Remember, the enemy’s gate is down.[5]

[The children crack up again.]

Ender: All right then. Here’s what I want to see: Bean, Petra, choose your ships with highest accuracy ratings and cluster them here [taps his display to place a marker]. Everyone else, we’re going to make like a spindle. Alai, you’re up here [taps another point], Dink, I need you protecting the rear. Everyone else, fill in.

Alai: What are we doing Ender?

Ender: Going for the gate.

Dumper: That’s crazy!

Ender: So crazy Mazer couldn’t possibly have anticipated it.

Petra: Ender, the number of enemy ships; even with our own ships acting as shields we won’t last long.

Ender: Have all units deploy all drones and LACs to the outermost layer. I’ll be charting a path to take based on the enemy’s reactions, make sure you follow it exactly.

Bean: Ender, our losses are going to be one hundred percent.

[Ender charts as he speaks using a stylus.]

Ender: If Mazer doesn’t like how we beat him, he can find a new commander.

Dink: [whoops] With you on that one, Ender!

[On the screen, the ships maneuver ever closer to the planet. Lights wink out as ships are destroyed by the Bugger army.]

Petra: Ender, I’ve got a lock but when do I fire? Too far and Dr. Device will get shot down by Bugger defense. Too close and it’ll burn up in the atmosphere before it can detonate.

Bean: Our ships can survive a few minutes of atmosphere. And if this was real, their crew could set off Dr. Device inside the ship instead of firing it.

Ender: Let’s go with that. Order any ship that makes it into the atmosphere to set off Dr. Device inside. If the simulator isn’t programmed to handle that I’ll argue to Mazer that we effectively won. We’ve seen in previous battles that Dr. Device works on starship debris fields; a starship plus an atmosphere ought to have enough density.

Petra: Ender, two of mine are almost through the atmosphere!

Ender: Now, Petra!

[On the screen, Petra’s ships winks out and the planet’s surface begins to bubble.]

Ender: Yes! [punches the air]

[We hear the other children’s cheers through the speaker. Then we start hearing cheers that sound like they’re coming from closer by. Suddenly the door opens and Graff walks in crying. He is followed by more officers who stand off to the side. Many of them are also have tears in their eyes. Graff reaches Ender and hugs him.]

Graff: Thank you, thank you Ender. Thank God for you, Ender.[6]

[Ender looks bewildered and turns to the other officers. They nod their approval and one looks like he wants to walk over to shake Ender’s hand.]

Ender: I cheated.

[Rackham enters. He is smilingly tightly.]

Rackham: Congratulations.

[Ender pushes Graff away to confront Rackham.]

Ender: I beat you.

Rackham: You weren’t fighting me.

Ender: Stop lying! You told me that [points towards console] was the last test! Was that a lie too?

Rackham: Ender, every battle you fought since entering this room has been against the Buggers.

Ender: What?

Rackham: We were the Third Invasion.

Ender: So I-

[Ender stares at the screen horrified. The screen is still showing the view from what Ender now knows to be an actual spaceship. A much smaller ball is now spinning where the Bugger’s planet was.]

Graff: It was us or them Ender.

Ender: We could have-

Rackham: Waited for them to come again? Kill more of our people?

Ender: The Second Invasion happened five years after the first. Then they never came back. Ninety-five years and they _never_ came back!

Graff: You saw the fleets they were fielding! How do you know they wouldn’t have been launched against us!

Rackham: Enough! We won! Humanity is safe and that’s what matters!

[Ender backs away.]

Ender: No. No, sir. The way we win matters too.

[There is scuffling noise by the door. Ender’s jeesh enters lead by Alai. Petra and Dink have their arms around each other. Alai walks over to Ender.]

Alai: [somberly] We just found out as well. All of them are gone?

Ender: [nods] The queen is everyone’s brain.

Alai: That’s — messed up.

[Ender nods, then turns to Graff, suddenly remembering something.]

Ender: If the war’s over...then Battle School’s over too, right?

Graff: Battle School is empty. Student were sent home after the last graduates here [points to Dumper and Bean] were sent to Tactical.

Ender: Then what about us — do we get to go home too or is there another genocide you need us to commit first?

[An officer tries to speak up but Graff stops him.]

Graff: Most of the arrangements have been made to send your friends home. Your case is a little more complicated-

Bean: You’re not going back, Ender.

Ender: Bean?

Bean: [to Graff] Tell him or I will.

Graff: We couldn’t keep the news of the Third Invasion quiet. The moment we — you — started winning, countries started fighting each other again. The Americans wants you home but everyone else-

Bean: Your brother negotiated a peace treaty that stipulates you remain International Fleet personnel. Which means you can’t go back to Earth.

Ender: [hollowly] Peter?

Bean: Yes.

Ender: [to Graff and the other adults] You used me. You wanted Peter, but you tricked me into it! [voice breaking] I just killed trillions while Peter saved billions!

[Ender hurls the stylus in his hand at Graff.]

Alai: Ender!

[Alai grabs Ender and the other jeesh members quickly converge.]

Alai: _We’ll_ take him to his room.

[The adults watch silently as the children leave.]

**Epilogue**

_Viewpoint is third person. We see a helicopter land and two people get out. The camera zooms in and we see they’re Ender and Valentine. They walk to the top of a short hill._

Valentine: [looking ahead with binoculars] That is definitely not a natural structure.

Ender: [gazing around] It still doesn’t feel right, standing here.

Valentine: [lowers the binoculars and looks at Ender] Peter never cried over spilled milk.

Ender: Peter never left Earth. He stayed on human territory.

Valentine: Staying away from Formic planets won’t bring them back.

Ender: And me being here means I can ensure at least this planet’s artifacts are treated with respect. I know. It’s just-

[Ender jerks to a stop, looking harder at the structure in the distance. He puts out his hand for the binoculars and Valentine hands them over. The camera shows the castle seen through the binoculars. The castle is crude. It looks like a rectangle box with several cylinders strewn on top capped with cones.]

Ender: Val?

Valentine: Mmm?

Ender: Wait by the chopper.

Valentine: Why?

Ender: I recognize the structure. I saw it in a dream. [turns to face Valentine] The Formic Queen was there too.

Valentine: You think she had the same dream?

Ender: Seems like it. Maybe my dreams came from her trying to communicate with me.

Valentine: [skeptical and worried] Let's say that's true. That just means it's almost certainly a trap!

Ender: It may be, which is why you’re staying back. But I owe it to them to look.

Valentine: Mazer Rackham owes it to them! Hyrum Graff does! Not you!

Ender: [shakes his head] If they want revenge they can have it. But in my dream the Formic Queen turned into you.

Valentine: What?

Ender: I think she's trying to send me a message. Without words, this is probably the only way she could.

[The scene cuts to Ender walking up to the castle alone and pushing open the door. On the floor is a crude carving of a snake. The throne is empty. Ender approaches and notices the seat is loose. Lifting it, he sees a cocoon hidden inside. Ender touches the cocoon and suddenly he’s standing before the throne with the Formic Queen sitting on it. The Queen scuttles down, then rears up to place her front legs on Ender’s shoulders. Tears roll down Ender’s face.

Ender: You believe me. You believe I didn’t mean to kill you. Thank you.

<Formic Queen>

Ender: How come I can hear you in my head now?

<Formic Queen>

Ender: [bitter laugh] Of course. ‘I’m no longer fighting your presence.’ What’s left to fight?

<Formic Queen>

Ender: How can you forgive me just like that? I still killed you! All of you. Almost.

<Formic Queen>

Ender: I wish...

[The Hive Queen’s middle leg swings forth depositing a cocoon in Ender’s arms.]

Ender: But where? Humanity fears you, you’d just be killed again!

Ender: I see. I can do that. I promise you I will do that. I’ll write the story of your mother and her hive-sisters and I’ll travel until I find I world for you.

[The camera is back on Ender’s hand touching the cocoon. Ender picks it up, places it in his backpack and leaves.]

[Valentine sees him coming and runs towards him to hug him.]

Valentine: [with relief] You came back.

Ender: [smiling] With the answer to my question.

**END**

Author’s Note: If any reader wants to suggest an improvement to the script, feel free to do so. If I agree, I’ll make the change and give credit to the suggester. If you’ve read the book, let me know if you think I’ve hit the key points! If you haven’t, let me know if anything doesn’t make sense :) Mr. Card himself said he wrote “about six times” trying to adapt the book (<https://www.wired.com/2013/10/cardqa/>) so I’m curious to see how my version reads. Finally, a thank you to Gavin Hood as well; I borrowed a few ideas from his adaptation.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

Author’s Commentary:

As I see it, the main problem with bringing the book to film is the book’s lack of female characters. To Mr. Card’s credit, he is upfront about the issue: in the book, Graff says, “A few girls [get into Battle School]. They don't often pass the tests to get in. Too many centuries of evolution are working against them.”* He also explicitly condemns sexism in Ender’s Game when Ender criticizes Bonzo’s order to treat Petra differently and in Ender’s Shadow when Bean argues that Petra’s qualifications and abilities should have nothing to do with her sex. The 2013 film tries to address the gender disparity by giving Petra more screen time, but that a) highlights that she’s a token female character and b) adds a weird flirtatious vibe to her interactions with Ender. While I didn’t change the names of the characters in my mock script, I do want to note that I think the sex of any character — excepting Ender and his siblings — can be changed without materially affecting the story (e.g. making Anderson female). The exception is because I don’t want to see Ender’s sex changed unless a) his environment becomes post-gender or b) the story includes scenes examining how being female affects her ability to lead in a patriarchal society. A great example of this can be found in The Honor of the Queen by David Weber. As for Ender’s siblings: Ender fears becoming Peter because he sees too many similarities between them and Ender believes he can never become Valentine because he focuses on their differences. Biological sex plays a role in that, hence their sex can’t be changed either.

*This reasoning (blaming evolution) is unsound and probably the result of Graff/Mr. Card not actually understanding how evolution and socialization works.

[1] The rest of the scene quoted/paraphrased from the novel.

[2] Quoted from the novel.

[3] Quoted from the novel.

[4] Paraphrased from the novel.

[5] Quoted from the novel.

[6] Quoted from the novel.


End file.
